Back of the brake pad: anti-seize or silicone brake lube?

[Mr.cant-find-his-10.5-mm]

Hi all,

So I've been using silicone (the same stuff that lubes the calliper slide pin) on back of the brake pad as lubricating for years, never had a problem with it. That's how I was taught from school. After watching a few brake jobs video on youtube, seems like everybody else is using copper anti-seize.

Thoughts?

 

[E150GT]

Ive only seem em use antisieze where the pad ears meet the hardware

 

[Jay1981]

I've never used the silicone or the copper anti-seize on the back of brake pads There is a product called "Disk Brake Quiet" that comes in an aerosol can, but years ago, when I worked in a shop doing oil changes, there was a mechanic who would use the CRC battery terminal protector spray. Said it was basically the same, worked just as good, etc.

It's been so long, I can't remember the exact reason he used the battery terminal stuff instead, may have been the price, not sure. At any rate, I have a can of it in the garage that I've used many times over the years, and it does work. Never had an issue with it.

 

[blupupher]

I have never put anything besides the shims/spacers comes with the pads.

Only think I lubricate is the ears of the pads and sliders/pins.

I have seen people use the "Disk Brake Quiet" spray before (I think it is blue??), but never needed it.

 

[Imp4]

So AGS claims their Sil-Glyde and Cerami-Glyde products should be applied to the back of brake pads amongst other locations to prevent squeal.
See page 2 of the attached marketing materials for details.

 

[maxdustington]

Silicone is for lubricating the "rubber" components, anti seize for everything else.

I've seen old schoolers who run graphite anti seize on the calipers pins and claim to have no problems.

It's weird because the AS on the back of the pads is there to stop them from getting corroded and stuck. However, the way the disk brake quiet works as I understand it is to help the pads stick to the piston/caliper and eliminate noise.

 

[pda1122]

Surprised no one uses actual brake caliper grease. I use either purple or green. Silglyde on pins

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by pda1122
Surprised no one uses actual brake caliper grease. I use either purple or green. Silglyde on pins.
I saw copper AS on the pad ears of my neighbor's brand new Sante Fe and that sealed the deal for me. It's pretty expensive though, between copper AS and 3m silicone paste I have almost $100 CAD in brake grease!

Syl Glyde is trash, I live in Toronto and it can't go a year without washing off of pad ears or getting thick and turning yellow on the slide pins. It's cheap and good in a pinch, but Mission silicone paste is close an price and far superior. You just can't buy it in Canada.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I use the packet that comes with the pads. The only exception is Akebono because they are stingy, and the packet they include isn't enough for all 4 pads

 

[rubberchicken]

I only use the Disk Brake Quiet from CRC in the tube- it drys sort of like RTV.

 

[The Critic]

I use M77 on the outside of the pads and sometimes, on the pad "ears" as well.

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
I use the packet that comes with the pads. The only exception is Akebono because they are stingy, and the packet they include isn't enough for all 4 pads

You are using too much. A barely visible film is all you need.

 

[demarpaint]

I've used this for decades w/o a problem: Disk Brake Quiet

 

[atikovi]

Anti seize is primarily for threaded fasteners and isn't rated for higher temperatures so it could run and contaminate pads and rotors. Use some specific caliper grease which is temperature rated like

Apply to the contact surfaces of the pad ears, caliper and piston, not the back of the pad itself.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by pda1122
Surprised no one uses actual brake caliper grease. I use either purple or green. Silglyde on pins

That's what I used (green stuff) last time with no issues (no washout/brake noise). A little on the back of the pads, guide pins and on the shims where they contact the caliper. A little goes a long way...

 

[WondrousBread]

I've been using the Permatex Disc Brake Lube for a long time on caliper pins and the back of pads, and it works perfectly. I'm in Canada (lots of salty roads), and it is completely unfazed by months and months of water. Brakes are still smooth and quiet.

It's also incredibly cheap, and one tube should last many years.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

You don't put ANYTHING on the back of the pads.

You don't want lube migrating onto the pad - and it surely will!

They should have anti-chatter shim on the puck contact area - out of the box

NO LUBE!

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted by The Critic
I use M77 on the outside of the pads and sometimes, on the pad "ears" as well.

In lieu of the M77, a few of us here have been hawking a similar and wondrous high solids moly product called Paste Lube 2400: https://goodson.com/collections/brake-lubes/products/bpl-2400-pastelub-brake-lubricant

M77 is silicone based while the Paste Lube is PAO. The Paste Lube hails from Sweden, is much cheaper, and is VERY water proof in the palm-under-faucet test.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
You don't put ANYTHING on the back of the pads.

You don't want lube migrating onto the pad - and it surely will!

They should have anti-chatter shim on the puck contact area - out of the box

NO LUBE!


Now that's a new one for me.. maybe you're using too much? Or i guess you should contact Monroe brakes and tell them they're doing it wrong, because their install instructions specifically calls for lubricating the pad backings and clips/shims. And my guess is you'd find similar instructions from Bendix and Bosch and....

 

[BigD1]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
I've used this for decades w/o a problem: Disk Brake Quiet


Yes that's the secret sauce for brakes that just won't shut up. Don't need shims...probably what was causing the noise in the first place especially the clip on type.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted by BigD1
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I've used this for decades w/o a problem: Disk Brake Quiet


Yes that's the secret sauce for brakes that just won't shut up. Don't need shims...probably what was causing the noise in the first place especially the clip on type.


Shims are most-definitely needed. Almost every modern car has factory-installed brake pads containing shims.